It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

Lan Mulian, standing atop her cloud, watched Mu Zhi’an and Bai Ruoxi depart.

A Core Formation cultivator at less than twenty years old. The Bai family’s young mistress, her future was limitless.

Once she joined the Two Polarities Sect, she would surely be sought after by numerous peak masters.

She was a true genius.

She would undoubtedly be the top candidate in this year’s entrance exams.

Lan Mulian turned to leave, but then she sensed a faint wisp of pink smoke in the air, dissipating almost instantly.

If one wasn’t paying attention, it would be easy to miss.

Demonic aura?

She scanned the crowd, her eyes narrowed, but she couldn’t pinpoint the source.

It was the Aura Sight Technique, a secret art of the Two Polarities Sect.

All living beings possessed an aura: cultivators had spiritual energy, ordinary people had destiny, demonic cultivators had demonic aura, and even emotions had their own unique energy.

The Aura Sight Technique revealed them all.

She surveyed the crowd, but all she saw were faint white auras emanating from the cultivators.

There were no demonic cultivators present.

But that wisp of demonic aura, it couldn’t have been a figment of her imagination.

This is strange… If a demonic cultivator was hiding among them, she would have detected them immediately.

But there was no trace.

The only possibility was… the demonic cultivator had just left.

And the only ones who had just left were.

She glanced towards Mu Zhi’an and Bai Ruoxi, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Ye Yu also watched them depart, his gaze fixed on Bai Ruoxi’s graceful figure.

A slow smile spread across his lips.

…

News of the Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation spread like wildfire among the cultivators that afternoon.

Such a dramatic event, witnessed by so many people… it was bound to generate discussion.

It had been so long since a cultivator in Tianxuan City had reached Core Formation.

And the power of that tribulation… it surpassed most Core Formation cultivators.

Typically, even three bolts of lightning were difficult to withstand, as the tribulation’s power was determined by the cultivator’s level, and it was always stronger.

Yet Bai Ruoxi had not only survived, but she had emerged unscathed.

It was remarkable.

“That Bai family young mistress is truly impressive. Not only is her cultivation progress rapid, but she even overcame her tribulation with ease.”

At the Rising Phoenix Inn, Lan Mulian welcomed her sister back to her room. Feiying, her chin resting on her hand, looked at Lan Mulian, who was standing by the window.

“I heard countless people discussing it as I entered the inn.”

Lan Mulian glanced down at the book in her hand, her voice soft. “Her progress is astonishingly fast.”

“So she’ll be the first to join the Two Polarities Sect, right?” Feiying asked.

“Most likely.” Lan Mulian nodded, but her brow furrowed slightly.

After the tribulation, she had sensed a faint trace of demonic aura lingering at the city gates.

An ordinary cultivator might not have noticed it, but she was sensitive to auras.

She pondered for a moment, then retrieved a paper crane from her storage ring.

Feiying raised an eyebrow, smiling. “Chatting with that Mu family young master again?”

“This is different.”

Lan Mulian shook her head, her voice calm. “I have some questions for him.”

…

At the Mu Manor, Mu Zhi’an watched Bai Ruoxi, a sigh escaping his lips. “I never expected you to reach Core Formation so quickly, Ruoxi.”

They both possessed exceptional talent, yet her progress was simply faster.

It was unfair.

Wei Mengrou also looked at Bai Ruoxi, who was kneeling beside the snow lotus pond, seemingly lost in thought, a hint of worry in her eyes.

“Her talent is truly remarkable. If you don’t work harder, you might not be able to control her in the future,” Wei Mengrou said, her voice laced with a hint of warning.

Mu Zhi’an chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s just Core Formation. I can easily subdue her.”

While Core Formation cultivators were powerful, he was still in control.

However, Bai Ruoxi’s heart remained a mystery to him.

“Don’t be so sure. You might find yourself controlled by her one day,” Wei Mengrou replied, her gaze fixed on Bai Ruoxi.

Bai Ruoxi, her chin resting on her hands, her hair framing her beautiful face, seemed to sense their gazes and looked up, meeting Mu Zhi’an’s eyes. A shy, gentle smile spread across her lips.

He smiled back, then shook his head. “Ruoxi isn’t the controlling type. Her actions speak for themselves.”

She had always been a gentle, delicate beauty. While she seemed aloof and distant to others, he had discovered a warmth within her, a kindness that belied her cold exterior.

Wei Mengrou scoffed, her disbelief evident.

He might understand human nature, but he didn’t understand women.

He didn’t understand their unpredictability.

“There’s something else you should be aware of,” she said suddenly, her voice turning serious.

He looked at her, his brow furrowing slightly.

“After the tribulation, her body was tempered by the lightning, and the surrounding spiritual energy was purified. A trace of demonic aura leaked from her vessel. I’m not sure if any other Core Formation cultivators noticed,” she explained.

He listened quietly, his expression unchanging.

“You don’t seem surprised. Did you already know?” she asked.

He shook his head. “We can’t hide it forever. It was bound to be discovered eventually.”

“The entrance exams are approaching. If this affects her chances of joining the sect… it could be a problem,” she said, her voice low.

If there was proof that she was a demonic cultivator, or that she possessed demonic aura… it could jeopardize her future, even with her talent.

It was inevitable. In this world, human cultivators and demonic cultivators were mortal enemies.

Not only Bai Ruoxi, but the entire Bai family would be implicated.

And even he, having been intimate with her… he could be investigated.

If the Core Formation cultivators from the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce or the Gongsun family had sensed that demonic aura… it would be a disaster.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

He pondered for a moment. “If we were at the Two Polarities Sect, it would be difficult to handle.”

He looked at her, his lips curving into a smile. “But Tianxuan City… it’s the Mu family’s territory.”